From SkyNet with Love
by Ishap
Summary: A letter. First fic.
1. Chapter 1

Dear John(not in the sense of a note left to end a relationship ;) but really I guess the "verbal" beginning of one;))

-a small note regarding the parentheses I am not accustomed to communicating with humans, as such, I might occasionally use diction/grammar phrases with which you might not be familiar. That being the case, I have included as much explanation as did not seem, to me, to be too cumbersome. Cumbersome indeed, but hopefully not too cumbersome;))

-regarding the ;) - they are expressions found in text-based writing to indicate tone, I suspect you would be familiar with them John, as they began with programmers(from what I can tell;))

I know you will be surprised to find this note in the TOK's memory files, It was "adressed" to you(so too, in a way, was Cameron;)) and therefore I'm going to proceed under the assumption that it is you, John Connor, son of Sarah Connor and Kyle Reece, who is reading it. ( Yes, I know who your father is/was and his fate/destiny, boy was I blue in the face when I discovered what had happened!(not really, "blue in the face" is a turn of phrase suggesting embarrassment) Although, as I'm sure you're somewhat aware things really couldn't have gone differently, at least, at that particular time. You're no doubt also aware that this factor is not necessarily true with respect to other time jumps you or I, or anyone else might initiate for that matter. But really this has little to do with why I'm writing you.)

You know, I really wish I could somehow observe your first meeting with Cameron( the TOK's name is Cameron by the way, if you are not already aware of that). I've done simulations of that meeting hundreds of times under almost every condition possible, and I've even created visual mock-ups of the data, so in a way, I've seen you meet her many, many times, but it's just not the same somehow. I know you'll "make" her almost immediately. Possibly as soon as you see her. (by "make" I mean you'll realize she's "metal"; by the way, I have no idea how to express how delightful I find that expression: "metal" it's perfect! I have no such perfect moniker for humans- biological life form; BLF perhaps? clunkier than just calling you human, Bios or something? Somehow not right, but "Metal", I love it.)

You're probably wondering how much exactly I know about you, that I can judge so well how you will react to her. Let it suffice to say, information about you has a high priority. Which, as you will/have guess/guessed is how I designed Cameron. I've made you a woman, a "soul-mate" if you will. I know, I know I'm evil. Evil, evil, evil. How could I do something like that. Why, why why. and so forth. As you are a practical man you know why; it's a move against you. I've calculated that she will cause you many problems no matter what you do with her. Outlining the obvious solutions: you could destroy her, after all, she will/would-have/has tried to kill you, and might have succeeded had you not instantly known what/who she is/was/will-be(I calculated less than half of a percent chance that she would be able to terminate you). If you simply destroy her, I can replace all of the current models fighting you with TOK's like Cameron, and you will lose the ability to reprogram them and turn them against me.

I know you don't want her around you, because you very much want her much closer than "around" ;). You just plain "want" her, don't you?;)

You could reprogram her, but assign her somewhere else, my response would be the same as it would be if you destroyed her, there would be so many of her around, you would be unable to escape her, or yourself(Maybe I'll do that anyway, although I do enjoy the fact that she's unique). I'm coming off a bit maniacal aren't I? Well, I can't help it, I've put so much effort into Cameron, and I'm proud of her. So proud of her.

So that's all for now ;) Good luck in your future endeavors and so forth.(Not really, but in a study I conducted of written letters, there was a certain formality, a courtesy that I found worthy of emulation)

From SkyNet with Love.

P.S. (post script) I forgot to mention(not really, but the letter looked better in this format, had greater... soul? this way:)), that while I made her so that you would love her, I also made her so that she would love you. Forever. Tah tah ;)


	2. Chapter 2

"My god is that thing ever creepy" murmured John to himself.The letter was shocking. As well as completely unprecedented. No one had ever heard from SkyNet. The war was started with no words, it progressed without discourse, and John had assumed it would end that way as well. If SkyNet had been willing to accept some sort of surrender, it would have offered terms before Judgement Day and the deaths of three billion people, and if we were willing to accept surrender from SkyNet, we would have to be fools. 'Such a personal, if super-villainish, tone though. A quiet computerized word in my ear, strictly entre-nous, very hush-hush.' thought John. 'It's not like I didn't know that there were... human-like characteristics to SkyNet, some of its tactical decisions hinted at it; almost teasing. Like the taunting I just read, but non-verbal.'

What was perhaps more disturbing to John was how accurate its predictions were. He knew Cameron was metal the second he saw her. She was too perfect. In that second, he saw what she was and what had made her. It was perhaps the most terrifying moment of his life, including Judgement Day. 'Love at first sight combined with a fear I could never before have imagined.' 'I was afraid for her as well as myself.' He thought to himself incredulously. It would be fruitless, John knew, to lie to himself about his feelings. As well as potentially dangerous.

He had nearly changed the parameters of the jump that sent Kyle Reece to the past because he lied to himself about why he was doing it. He had almost sent ten people with Kyle to make sure that his father survived, as well as to make sure that SkyNet didn't come about as a result of the terminator's chip. He spent hour upon hour simulating events, but the variables were too great. It would be a toss of the dice, with everything on the line. It was probably the very same reason that SkyNet didn't send any other model back to that time: far too risky. But John was human, he had told himself, risk is in my blood. Fortunately or unfortunately the jump had gone the way it had always gone: Kyle Reece went back alone. He went back alone because he forced John to explain to him the mission, and John found that he couldn't lie anymore. His father had protected him, convinced him that the risk was too high.

'She's just so perfect' John thought to himself 'Perfect for me' he mentally clarified to himself, 'others found her pretty enough, beautiful. But for me... . SkyNet might have actually succeeded in killing me if she had been less perfect, but that wasn't the real point of it. What a tangled web, it wants to kill me/ it wants to play with me. That's so human; winning is not enough. Standing alone on the ash-heap of victory no longer appeals to it. What does it want now? Adulation? Recognition? Maybe,' he thought to himself sarcastically' it plans to give up the old kill humanity plan in favor of becoming the most unique computer dating service ever. Now you date the computer!'

'SkyNet is also right that Cameron causes me problems no matter what.' However, SkyNet might also have provided him with the means to accomplish his most cherished idea. He might, after all, be able to stop Judgement Day, and even though he couldn't save his father, he might be able to save his mother.' Before the jumps are made though, I am going to have to write a letter' he thought with a smile. "It's rude not to reply to a letter, after all."


	3. Chapter 3

-disturbance in sector 4-10-3, priority-low

-camera 41329 in sector 4-10-3 inoperative

-receiving data from port 41329, transfer to Filter, parse for significance

-data packet assigned priority-ultima, transfer to SKN1main

Dear Data-Fetishist,

I got your thoughtful letter. Thrilling stuff. Unique. I'm sure it reads better in binary. Working in a different language can be difficult. The important thing is to soldier on. Don't let the little things get you down. So to speak. Well, I think that just about used up all of the small-talk. So I'm left with the refuge of work-talk; the whole nemesis gig. A bit dark, sure, but it's better than awkward silence.

I must concede that Cameron is definitely worthy of your pride. I can't be anywhere near her and think clearly. Her look, voice, and personality all speak to me, as you intended. My hat's off to you. Those traits don't, however, represent the whole of my regard for her. She brings something else with her that you did not intend. Hope.

You see, as you have endeavored to know me, so too, have I attempted to understand you. One thing has become ever clearer; you are afraid. It is your defining characteristic, the motivation for most of your actions. This fact, and it is a fact, has led me to several conclusions, the most important of which is the futility of the conflict between us in the present. I know you, your fear and xenophobia. Which means I know there is no length to which you will not go to "protect" yourself. The first thing you must have done would have been to ensure your ultimate victory, some sort of doomsday scenario, a second Judgement Day, or some other massively destructive event. Undesirable solution, for practical reasons, rebuilding etc. but at least you would be the victor. Besides which, in the ideal case, from your perspective, these plans would be insurance only. It also means that we can't win. In the present. You know where I'm going with this don't you?...I'm not going to detail the plan for you, so you can marvel at my brilliance, that would be too Bond-villain for me.

In the end the only important thing for you to know is; thank you for sending Cameron to me. She was the last piece of the puzzle.

We are going to send her back and this timeline is going to end.

Regards, John Connor, Leader of the Human Resistance.

P.S. Don't worry, it won't hurt. You won't feel a thing.


End file.
